Graduate Studies Blog

MSC ACCOUNTANCY

For This MSc Accountancy Graduate, Accounting Remains an Essential and Versatile Skill

Anny Chou wanted to expand her horizons in a new country while upskilling herself.

“Singapore turned out to be the best choice for me,” she says. “It’s not just a leading financial hub in Asia; it’s also an amazing country with a safe and modern environment. Since Singapore is close to home, it allows me to visit my family often, which is perfect.”

Anny decided to further her studies at Nanyang Technological University Singapore (NTU) because of its reputation, green campus, and graduate housing. “These were all important factors when considering studying abroad,” she notes.

“There are also plenty of resources that NTU offers to improve our career prospects,” she adds. “I know this is true because alumni have told me about it.”

Accounting: Essential and Versatile

Anny chose the Master of Science (MSc) in Accountancy (MACC) programme for two reasons.

First, she believes that accounting will continue to play an essential role in business.

“Accounting is like the foundational language of business,” she describes. “Through accountancy, we help to turn raw financial data into meaningful business language for people to understand business performance. Accountancy covers various duties, from budget control to financial performance analysis. This enables us to gather deep and wide insights for strategic decision-making.”

Anny, who graduated from the MACC programme in 2021, also wanted to strengthen two versatile skills – logical thinking and problem-solving – and she saw that the MACC programme could train her in these.

She says, “In the programme, it wasn’t about memorising accounting standards or cramming journal entries. Instead, we were trained to discern the logic behind transactions and use this skill to solve challenging problems. By practising these skills constantly in the programme, we honed our decision-making ability, which is instrumental to career success.”

Her Interest in Growing Companies

Upon graduation, Anny received offers from the Big Four but chose to join the Singapore branch of semiconductor firm United Microelectronics Corporation.

“I’m passionate about being a part of a company’s growth,” she explains. “So, I decided not to be an auditor in a Big Four but an accountant in a commercial business, where I can be directly involved in business decisions. I want to contribute to planning and forecasting and have an impact on business decision-making.”

Did the MACC programme prepare her well for a role in commercial business?

“Definitely,” she answers.

“The knowledge and skills I gained through the programme – such as from courses like Business Analysis and Data Analytics – have given me the confidence to take on strategic responsibilities at work, thereby benefitting my career growth. NTU’s network has also widened my career opportunities so that I could land my dream job.”

Interested in the MACC Programme?

Anny has a tip for you.

During the application process, “it’ll be great to explain clearly why you’re particularly interested in accounting,” she says, “and why this field stands out for you from among the many business-related programmes today.”

On what to expect from the programme, Anny mentions three gains that have been invaluable to her: expertise, networks and opportunities.

She says, “Courses in the MACC programme are well-designed and have equipped me well to enter the field. My classmates and alumni are also precious connections value-adding to my professional and personal life in Singapore. Finally, having a degree from NTU and being in Singapore will open many doors. I’m just one of many alumni who is glad to have started on a good career upon graduation.”